I Won't Let You Go
by Shelfkid91
Summary: Seven year old Hatake Kakashi can't understand why his father doesn't want to get up and train him. After saying hurtful words, Kakashi must try to raise his father's spirits. Rate K  for minor violence. Song fic! Please enjoy!


_Author's Note: I wrote one and now I must write so many more! This one is for me editor! Hopefully it will be as awesome as I want it to be!_

_Song fic! Hope it works! I advise you to listen to the song while you read! It's a great song!_

_Disclaimer: (because we all know that I have to do it!) By writing this story, I do not claim ownership of Naruto, the characters, places and ideas present in the story, or the song used in this fic. They belong to their respected owners. This is for pure entertainment. No copyright infringement intended._

_I Won't Let Go…_

_It's like a storm that cuts a path It breaks your will… It feels like that_

"Daddy! I want to train!" Sakumo moaned and rolled over. This was the third day in a row that Kakashi had come into his room begging him to get up. The first day Sakumo had mumbled something about being tired. The second day he claimed her was sick and that he needed to rest. Today he just gave Kakashi his back. "Dad!" the seven year old screamed. Sakumo grunted.

"Not today, Kakashi…" he muttered and closed his eyes.

"Why not?" Kakashi whined.

"Daddy's still sick," Sakumo answered weakly.

"You haven't been the same since the mission!" Kakashi snapped. He watched his father flinch and smiled. It was true. Sakumo had come back from that mission and he had slowly declined into this. At first he was just tired all the time. Eventually he stopped talking, stopped eating, and only drank when Kakashi forced a glass to his lips.

"Go away, Kakashi…" Sakumo whispered, pulling the blanket over his body and curling up tighter.

"Fine!" Kakashi screamed. "Die here for all I care, you worthless failure!"

_You think you're lost, but you're not lost on your own. __**You're not alone…**_

"Kakashi, what's wrong…?" Minato asked. Kakashi was sitting in the training field, crying.

"I had a fight with dad," the seven year old whimpered softly. Minato sighed and sat beside Kakashi. "I said something I shouldn't have…"

"What did you say…?" Kakashi told him. "Kakashi… Sakumo is sick…"

Kakashi looked up at Minato. "But… He doesn't have a fever and he's not throwing up… What's wrong with him?"

Minato pulled the child closer to him and hugged him. "He's not sick here…" he pointed to Kakashi's stomach. "He's sick here…" He pointed to the boy's chest. "His heart hurts, Kakashi… And he needs you. He needs you to understand what he's going through…"

Kakashi closed his eyes and leaned on his sensei. "That's a lot to put on a little kid, don't you think…?" he asked meekly.

"Yes… it is, but you're a strong little kid…"

"I don't understand…" Kakashi whimpered.

"I know you don't, but you have to…" Kakashi nodded slowly.

_I will stand by you, I will help you through, when you've done all you can do and you can't cope…_

Thunder started shaking the ground. Kakashi wasn't ready to go home. He wasn't ready to face the shell of the man he had once seen so great. His gloved hands closed over nothing. He remembered when Sakumo would have been standing beside him, holding his hand. How long ago…? Was it a few weeks? A month? Two? The young Hatake shook his head. Where was his father? Was he leaving him alone, to face whatever the world had to throw at him?

The boy turned to look at the sky. Lightning made a spider web in the dark clouds. Soon it would be night time. What would he do then? Would he lay awake in his house, waiting for Sakumo to come tuck him in? Or would he never see that soft side of his father again? It seemed likely.

Kakashi spun and slammed his fist into the nearest wall, scraping his knuckles on the brick wall. He didn't cry out in pain or frustration. He just stared at the blood stain on the wall and wondered how long it would be before he was cleaning up more than just his own blood.

_I will dry your eyes, I will fight your fight I will hold you tight and I won't let go…_

A small Uchiha followed the Hatake silently. He didn't know the boy well, or what he was going through, but he seemed like he needed a friend. The Uchiha watched Kakashi beat up the wall. He looked so distraught, so pained. _And I can't help him…_ the boy thought. _He doesn't even know who I am…_

The Uchiha sighed. "Hey!" he called to Kakashi. The Hatake spun around, but the Uchiha lost his nerve. He slipped back into the shadows just before lightning illuminated where he had stood. Kakashi shrugged and walked towards where he must live. _I'm a coward…_ the Uchiha thought sadly. _I hope it works out for you, Kakashi… _Without a sound, the Uchiha was gone…

_It hurts my heart to see you cry. I know it's dark this part of life. Oh it find us all and we're too small to stop the rain, Oh but when it rains…  
_

"Dad! Dad, I'm home!"

The house was silent. Kakashi's stomach dropped. He ran into Sakumo's room to find the bed empty. "Daddy!" he screamed, frantic. Where was he? Had his words hurt his father that much? Was Sakumo gone, leaving his child to fend for himself?

Kakashi ran from the house. "Dad!" he shouted into the swirling night. Storm clouds blocked the moon's light, making it impossible to see and locate his father. The boy sniffed. His father had headed outside the village. Kakashi tore in that direction.

He found his father standing on the shores of a lake. Kakashi ran to him. "Train me!" the boy shouted over the wind. Sakumo didn't seem to hear him. "Train me!" Kakashi shouted again, louder. Sakumo made no move.

Kakashi aimed a hard punch at his father. His fist hit a wall of flesh. The boy punched again. "Block it!" he shouted, aiming yet another, hard punch at his father. Sakumo again made no move to defend himself. "BLOCK IT!" Kakashi screamed, his voice becoming shrill. He aimed another punch at his father. This time his fist met Sakumo's palm.

The Elder Hatake squeezed his son's little hand, threatening the crush it. Sakumo held onto the boy for several moments, applying a crushing pressure to the child. Kakashi squeaked in pain. Finally Sakumo tossed the boy's fist aside. Kakashi punched again. This time the blow was blocked, gentler.

"Fight back!" Kakashi shouted. Sakumo aimed a gentle punch at his son. "Harder!" Kakashi instructed. Sakumo punched harder, getting Kakashi in to stomach. Kakashi smiled and began fighting back.

_Don't be afraid to fall. I'm right here to catch you. I won't let you down. It won't get you down. You're gonna make it. I know you can make it!_

The fought as the rain poured around them. At first Sakumo was stiff, but as they danced together, Sakumo began to loosen up. Kakashi smiled. Sakumo followed his son. At first his smile was weaker, but they danced and he smiled widely.

Their movements were graceful. It was a deadly ballet. Sakumo would aim a high kick at Kakashi's head. The small boy would duck and do a sweep kick at Sakumo's one leg. Sakumo would launch himself into the air, aiming a round kick. They were oblivious of the rain. Sakumo had a real smile on his face for the first time in weeks and Kakashi couldn't begin to enjoy it as much as it deserved to be enjoyed. The boy just fought with his father, keeping their movements going as they danced to the beat of the rain. The thunder was their drums, the rain their orchestra and the lightning their spotlight.

Eventually they both collapsed onto the soaking ground, panting hard. Kakashi crawled over to his father. He laid his head on the man's heaving chest. Sakumo laughed as he pulled Kakashi into a hug and ran his fingers through Kakashi's hair. The boy snuggled up to Sakumo's chest as he started drifting. "I love you daddy…" he whispered.

Sakumo smiled at his son and patted him gently. Kakashi blinked sleepily and his grip on his father slackened. Neither seemed to care that they were getting drenched… Kakashi's eyes closed.

"I love you too…"

_Oh I'm gonna hold you and I won't let go..._

_Author's note: Mwahahahaha! I have achieved cuteness! I win! _

_Anyone, in light of my recent, darker one shot, this is sort of a foil to that to try and balance it. Hope you loved it!_


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